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  • WVO powered Generator

    Is there any reason why a diesel generator cannot be converted to run on WVO? I've got a Nissan Patrol happily running on WVO and looking to explore other potential avenues to use veg oil.

    Any comments/ideas would be most welcome.

    Dave

  • #2
    Re: WVO powered Generator

    No, people have done this, of course of you get a liquid cooled one, you could then out the radiator inside the house on winter and have a heater as well..... (you could use an air cooled one, but run a risk of carbon monoxide poisioning if there is a leak)
    Captain Echidna
    Senior Member
    Last edited by Captain Echidna; 29 October 2006, 11:03 PM.
    cheers<BR>Chris.<BR>1990 landcruiser 80, 1HD-T two tank, copper pipe HE+ 20 plate FPHE, toyota solenoids and filters. 1978 300D, elsbett one tank system.<BR>

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    • #3
      Re: WVO powered Generator

      Chris,
      CO poisoning is nowhere near the issue with diesels, as it is with petrol engines.

      Diesels run a lean (oxygen rich) combustion process, which does not promote CO production. Petrol engines are run at a stoichometric(sp?) fuel / oxygen ratio, which gives optimal power for that fuel, but has significantly higher CO levels.

      Back to the topic, Combiner Heat and Power (CHP) installations are the most efficient generator options as roughly 1/3 of the energy in the fuel goes to rotating the shaft, 1/3 to the coolant and 1/3 to the exhaust.

      Using the 1/3 of fuel energy in the coolant will improve the overall fuel efficiency.

      If using coolant heat in the house, it is advisavble to have control of the coolant flow, to prevent over heating the house in summer.
      Life is a journey, with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to enjoy.

      Current Vehicles in stable:
      '06 Musso Sports 4X4 Manual Crew Cab tray back.
      '04 Rexton 4X4 Automatic SUV
      '2014 Toyota Prius (on ULP) - Wife's car

      Previous Vehicles:
      '90 Mazda Capella. (2000 - 2003) My first Fatmobile. Converted to fun on veggie oil with a 2 tank setup.
      '80 Mercedes 300D. 2 tank conversion [Sold]
      '84 Mercedes 300D. 1 tank, no conversion. Replaced engine with rebuilt OM617A turbodiesel engine. Finally had good power. Engine donor for W123 coupe. (body parted out and carcass sold for scrap.)
      '85 Mercedes Benz W123 300CD Turbodiesel
      '99 Mercedes W202 C250 Turbodiesel (my darling Wife's car)[sold]
      '98 Mercedes W202 C250 Turbodiesel (my car)[sold]
      '06 Musso Sports Crew Cab well body. [Head gasket blew!]
      '04 Rexton SUV 2.9L Turbodiesel same as Musso - Our Family car.
      '06 Musso sports Crew Cab Trayback - My hack (no air cond, no heater).

      Searching the Biofuels Forum using Google
      Adding images and/or documents to your posts

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: WVO powered Generator

        Originally posted by Dave_ View Post
        Is there any reason why a diesel generator cannot be converted to run on WVO? I've got a Nissan Patrol happily running on WVO and looking to explore other potential avenues to use veg oil.

        Any comments/ideas would be most welcome.

        Dave

        Hello Dave.
        I suggest, if you haven't already, that you go to
        Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO/PPO) Conversion for Diesel Vehicles and see what has been converted to run on veggie oil. The 12 cylinder 200 hp saw mill is quite a thing, there is a [icture opf it, and vcarious other things

        Kind regards
        Othersid532

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: WVO powered Generator

          Originally posted by otherside532 View Post
          Hello Dave.
          I suggest, if you haven't already, that you go to
          Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO/PPO) Conversion for Diesel Vehicles and see what has been converted to run on veggie oil. The 12 cylinder 200 hp saw mill is quite a thing, there is a [icture opf it, and vcarious other things

          Kind regards
          Othersid532
          Dave,
          As well as being WVO use challenged, I am computer challenged, the site reference aboe is wrong so I am writing it out for you
          Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO/PPO) Conversion for Diesel Vehicles now THAT should work
          Kind regards
          Otherside532

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: WVO powered Generator

            Originally posted by otherside532 View Post
            Hello Dave.
            I suggest, if you haven't already, that you go to
            Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO/PPO) Conversion for Diesel Vehicles and see what has been converted to run on veggie oil. The 12 cylinder 200 hp saw mill is quite a thing, there is a [icture opf it, and vcarious other things

            Kind regards
            Othersid532
            Dave,
            As well as being WVO use challenged, I am computer challenged, the site reference aboe is wrong so I am writing it out for you
            Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO/PPO) Conversion for Diesel Vehicles now THAT should work
            Kind regards
            Otherside532

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: WVO powered Generator

              Are there any specifics that would prevent a particular type of diesel generator being appropriate. For instance, I've noticed a number of newer genny's are direct injected - is this likely to be a problem as it can be with vehicles?

              Dave

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              • #8
                Re: WVO powered Generator

                Dave,
                I have a small aircooled DI engine I am using to run a genny and have run it on unheated WVO with no problems what so ever. Being that the wvo is unheated, I do not run it on it permanantly but don't see why I couldn't.
                Because of the pump being located inside the crankcase, the fuel picks up a lot of heat and of course gets some thermal transfer when it gets to the other end of the line at the injector.

                With proper heating, I see no reason the why WVO wouldn't work on a generator engine like it does in an automotive application.

                What size gen are you planning on using and are you going to be setting it up in a portable or stationary application? If stationary, are you planning on incorporating any sort of co-gen system?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: WVO powered Generator

                  hi i love WVO, Great idea to use the engine cooling for house heating thanks. I remember reading something on the use of diesel generators in that they plumbed the exhaust into a buried container, i cant remember if it was 1/2 full of water with the pipe going to the bottom sort of a super muffler. ON the piont of suitability i think if in any dout dont be too greedy mix some dino with it,even if you went right up to 50/50 you still getting 1/2 you fuel for free

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                  • #10
                    Re: WVO powered Generator

                    Hi David,

                    thanks for the info. I'm planning to use about a 5kva generator for a large workshed/garage. If that worked really well I might consider using it to partially power the house. I can get access to quite a reasonable quantity of filtered WVO - some I have to pay for, some I don't - so the more I can use it to replace traditional forms of power & heating the better off everybody is (except of course the Gov't and the power company ).

                    Regards,

                    Dave

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: WVO powered Generator

                      Dave,

                      From what I have read and fully believe, using WVO to power a genny is more effective in being independant of the power company than saving money. If you are motivated by the green or self reliant factor then this would be a good option but if you are more interested in saving money, I'm not sure at all that you would.

                      There are a lot of things to consider in this and it really depends on how much expense and trouble you are prepared or want to go to. In reality, I don't think it is so much a question of if you can do it, which is a definate yes, its more of a case of why do you want to do it and do you have the money to sink into it? I think you will find that even $2000 you may spend on a decent watercooled genny would pay for the electricity you use in your workshop for a long time and may suit your budget better to pay for the power as you use it, rather than tying up a chunk of your cash in one lump sum.

                      Have a look at the website utterpower.com for lots of info on engines, generators and other DIY power projects. I think you will come to realise by reading that site there is a lot to doing this properly but again it depends on how serious you are about doing this and what you are thinking of putting into it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: WVO powered Generator

                        David,

                        thanks for the link and sharing your thoughts- much appreciated. One of the main reasons for exploring the use of a diesel generator for my shed was that it will be up to 50-100 meters away from my house and the cost associated with getting a trench digger in, buying cable and conduit, paying the electrical etc, etc, would probably far outweigh the cost of a 5kva generator (my electrician thought so anyway!)

                        I can access up to 100 litres per week of oil that will be beyond what my current requirements are, so I can stockpile it (which I hope to do anyway), and/or I can use it to fuel other needs.
                        So the issue for me isn't simply trying to save money (as I realise I probably won't) but better utilizing the resources I currently have avaliable.

                        Thanks again,

                        Dave

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: WVO powered Generator

                          The way I see it is that you have 2 options, the cheap one and the proper, more expensive one.

                          You may be able to get an aircooled diesel for $1000- $1200 in that output.
                          This will be a high speed job that may last a reasonable time with proper care and the benifit of being able to run on oil. If you are going to be using the thing on an intermittent basis like evenings and weekends, one of these things may last a reasonable time. If you could get some parts like rings and bearings and give it an overhaul when needed and get spare brushes and bearings for the gen head, the life and economy of the things could be greatly extended. I have yet to read anything concerning the longevity of these engines so I couldn't even give you an indication of how long they may last.

                          If you are going to be running something more like 8 hours a day, the only way to go would be a water cooled, slow speed job Like a Yanmar copy Changfa or a lister listeroid copy. A lister will be the most expensive and best, but by far most long lived option. I believe these engines can be had with a 5K head for around $3000. these engines are generally rated in decades of use and if you get a standard type engine, parts are readily available and the utterpower site has loads of info on rebuilding them.

                          A third option would be to use a car type engine and couple it to a gen head. I recently saw a 10K 4 pole head on ebay for $750 which seems good value. If you were able to pick up a reasonable engine and put an electronic govenor on it, you could possibly set yourself up for as little as $1500- $2000. Would really depend on how much engineering you could do yourself. Automotive engines would give long life, should be reasonably cheap to procure a running if not perfect example and should be good to get parts for when needed.

                          Of course with a water cooled engine they would be quiet and as mentioned, by tapping off the coolant heat, you would have the warmest shed anywhere in winter.

                          Running even a 10K head off a small car or truck engine would be a doddle for it even at full load that you probably wouldn't use very often. Even a relatively worn engine should last a good long time and be very economical at such low and constant power requirements. I would think your 100L of oil a week would be more than you would need even for everyday operation.

                          You may also want to consider making an amount of bio for start up and shutdown depending on the oil you get and your location/ Climate. With a watercooled engine you could supply the heat for the process from the engine coolant and power the pump for mixing off the gen as well for a totally self sufficent setup.

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                          • #14
                            Re: WVO powered Generator

                            love the idea of useing cooling to heat house etc , thats fine in winter ,what about heating the pool in summer

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